Blu-ray Movie Reviews

As if their world-saving missions weren’t hard enough already, the entire Impossible Mission Force is shut down by an overzealous CIA director, and the IMF’s best agent, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), is now an international fugitive. Of course, those setbacks don’t stop him from continuing his search for the Syndicate. The Syndicate is ruthless, frighteningly effective, and worst of all, the CIA refuses to believe that it even exists, so the pursuit is uphill all the way.

The trail leads to exotic locations around the globe and some serious threats to life and limb—or merely business as usual for Ethan, who enlists the aid of some trusted allies as well as a shadowy new associate (Rebecca Ferguson) who is never quite what she claims to be. Ultimately, everyone is after a secret file that is incredibly difficult to acquire and even more of a challenge to open, but the contents are worth the risk. This Mission is another fresh yet familiar assignment, fraught with suspense and a fair amount of humor.

Overall, the 2.39:1 Blu-ray presentation delivers stunning clarity right down to the actors’ pores and various interesting textures, in addition to precise details in wide shots. Even light mist and smoke are rendered without issue. Colors are spot-on and well saturated, with a broad range of fleshtones on display. The movie was shot on a combination of film and digital media, which might explain the curious, inconsistent grain structure. Fast action leads to occasional, mild video strobing, and some out-of-focus backgrounds have a stark, slightly artificial appearance, but these flaws are minor.

The stellar Dolby True HD 7.1 soundtrack (with Dolby Atmos) is airily spacious and wonderfully alive. The perceived soundfield can be enormous at times, defined by approaching voices, sirens, or perhaps a seamless helicopter overhead. An underwater sequence is particularly thrilling, as it sets up a truly 360-degree scenario and then fills the space with clever directionality, including a mechanical arm in motion above us. As expected, gunshots and explosions are sharp and powerful.

The Blu-ray features a rare audio commentary from star Cruise, joined by writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, a frequent collaborator. A collection of seven featurettes all sort of fit together to tell a larger behind-the-scenes story for Rogue Nation, a worthy continuation of the blockbuster franchise.

Blu-Ray
Studio: Paramount, 2015
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Audio Format: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 with Atmos
Length: 132 mins.
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg